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A recent study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed that Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), is associated with a reduced chance of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
In the study, the research team tested the blood of over 6,000 healthcare workers for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and also asked them for their medical and vaccination histories.
They found that workers who had received BCG vaccinations in the past – nearly 30% of those studied – were significantly less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in their blood or to report having had coronavirus infections or symptoms. associated during the six months prior to those who had not received BCG.
Reasons for lowering SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in the BCG group
These effects were not related to whether the workers received meningococcal, pneumococcal or influenza vaccinations.
The reasons for the lower SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in the BCG group were unclear, according to the researchers.
“It appears that individuals vaccinated with BCG may have been less ill and therefore produce fewer antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, or they may have mounted a more efficient cellular immune response against the virus,” said study author Moshe Arditi. , Cedars -Sinai Medical Center in the United States.
“We were interested in studying the BCG vaccine because it has long been known to have a general protective effect against a number of bacterial and viral diseases other than tuberculosis (TB), including neonatal sepsis and respiratory infections,” Arditi added.
Can BCG vaccination induce a protective effect against SARS-CoV2 infection?
In the study, lower antibody levels in the BCG group persisted despite the fact that these individuals had higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and COPD.
“Given our findings, we believe that large randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to confirm whether BCG vaccination can induce a protective effect against SARS-CoV2 infection,” said study author Susan Cheng of Cedars-Sinai.
In early October, as part of a large-scale global trial, scientists in Britain launched a study to see if the widely used Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine could help protect people from COVID-19.
Additionally, a study that appeared in the medRxiv pre-press repository found that the TB vaccine could be a potential new tool in the fight against the COVID-19 disease.
(With input from agencies)
Published: November 22, 2020 10:36 am | Updated: November 22, 2020 10:39 am
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